TRAVELHotNews.com Magazine

THN.COM SITS DOWN WITH JAMAICA'S MINISTER

Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica's minister says Canada is the fastest-growing market; arrivals have seen huge increases in the last year
Janice Strong

Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism, Jamaica

“Canada is the fastest-growing major destination for Jamaica,” declared the Hon. Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s minister of tourism at a packed gathering of industry representatives in Vancouver on October 16. In town to officially begin the countdown to the December 19 departure of the first-ever non-stop service between Vancouver and Montego Bay, Bartlett sat down with TRAVELHotNews to chat about the steady growth of arrivals from Canada of the past few years. In the first half of 2008, more than 136,000 Canadians headed south to Jamaica, the strongest numbers ever for Canada, and a 26.6 per cent increase over the same period in 2007. July numbers were just as strong with 15,525 arrivals registered from Canada. Bartlett cited investment in infrastructure as one of the key factors to the continued strong numbers. [Full text and pictures]

TRANSAT GIVES TO RED CROSS

Transat donates $25,000 to the Canadian Red Cross to aid in post hurricane relief

Lina De Cesare (centre), accompanied by employees of Transat Tours Canada and Air Transat who organized a series of fundraising activities

Transat A.T. Inc. presented a cheque for $25,000 to the Canadian Red Cross in Montreal yesterday to contribute to the organization’s humanitarian efforts in Haiti and Cuba following hurricanes Gustav and Ike. The money donated by Transat will be used to provide emergency aid and longer-term assistance for citizens of the two countries, among the regions hardest hit by the storms. The money donated to the Canadian Red Cross was raised by employees of several Transat business units, including Transat Tours Canada and Air Transat, both of which organized a series of fundraising activities to help the people affected by the passage of the hurricanes.

GOWAY PROFILES AFRICA

AFRICAExperts by Goway announce South Africa campaign and chance to win two tickets to South Africa

AFRICAExperts announced the launch of a high profile campaign aimed at raising awareness and education of travel to South Africa. The promotion includes the opportunity to win a selection of prizes, including a grand prize of a two airline tickets to South Africa with South African Airways. The cornerstone of the promotion is education, and AFRICAExperts is conducting a special presentation at the Toronto Botanical Gardens on the October 29 from 6 to 9 p.m. This event is open to all travel agents and interested consumers. The campaign commences with the launch of the 2009 AFRICAExperts travel planner, a 68-page brochure that includes 16 pages of new travel ideas totaling over 170 ideas for first time or return visitors to Africa. [Full text and pictures]

FLORIDA WITH NOLITOURS FOR $6

Nolitours announces roundtrip flights to Florida from Toronto for $6

Nolitours is offering roundtrip flights to Florida from Toronto for six dollars. The six dollar rate is applicable on roundtrip flights to Fort Lauderdale and Orlando on the following departures only. Fort Lauderdale: to depart November 6, 13, 20, 27, December 4 and return November 13, 20, 27, December 4 and 11. Orlando: to depart November 14, 21, 28, December 5 and return November 21, 28, December 5 and 12. Taxes of $223 are additional. Package holidays including roundtrip airfare, accommodation and car rentals are available to all Florida destinations as well as nightly hotel rates, car rentals and attraction tickets to Walt Disney World Resort, SeaWorld, Aquatica, Busch Gardens, and Universal Orlando Resort.

SUNQUEST’S 5-DAY BLOW OUT SALE

Sunquest announces sale on 10,000 winter vacations, prices start at $297

Sunquest has reduced prices on 10,000 winter vacations in their latest Blow Out Sale. Thousands of fall and winter selected vacations are included in this special offer that applies to new bookings from all gateways. This offer is effective for new bookings only, starting at midnight on October 23, and running until midnight on Tuesday, October 28, 2008. This promotion is not combinable with any other promotion except applicable hotel early booking bonuses already reflected in these low prices. For more information, visit sunquestagent.ca. Please note that with this offer there may be some exceptions. Applicable travel dates and destinations apply and vary by gateway.

SIGNATURE'S WEBINAR WINNERS

Signature Vacations congratulates winners of first-ever Webinar

Iberostar Rose Hall Beach Montego Bay, Jamaica

Signature Vacations has announced that its first-ever Webinar was a great success with participation from 70 agents. Hosted on October 16 by key accounts manager Sal Buccellato, the 40-minute session detailed many of the new products and brands that are being offered for winter 2008/2009 including: StarClass, the new Holiday Village Resort in Cozumel, the Volunteer Holiday Tour in Costa Rica, the exclusive Sensatori Azul and more. Agents dialing in for the session were invited to participate in a quiz for the chance to win one of two fabulous prizes. The two winners drawn were: Sarah Crowell of Carlson Wagonlit Harvey’s Travel who won a one-week, land-only stay at the Hotel Sirenas La Salina in Varadero, Cuba and Mark Stephen of Destinations To Go whose prize was a one-week, land-only stay at the Iberostar Rose Hall Beach in Montego Bay, Jamaica.

FAIRMONT WELCOMES NEW LINE-UP

Fairmont Hotels announced new hotel line-up for 2009 in the Middle East, Asia, Africa and North America

Fairmont Hotels is scheduled to open several new hotels in 2009. They will be growing their markets around the globe including Saudi Arabia and China. Before the year is out, Fairmont will also welcome two new hotels with the addition of the 222-room Fairmont Beijing and the 150-room Fairmont Battery Wharf in Boston’s historic North End. In total, Fairmont will add 3,700 guestrooms as it opens the doors at eleven soon-to-be hotels in 2008 and 2009. These hotel openings include: Fairmont Beijing, Fairmont Battery Wharf, Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club, Makkah Clock Royal Tower, Fairmont Abu Dhabi Creek, The Savoy, Fairmont Yangcheng Lake, Kunshan, Fairmont Nile City. For more information and hotel locations continue reading. [Full text and pictures]

CANADA’S SPOOKY 13

TripAtlas.com releases its 13 Spookiest Places to Stay in Canada haunted accommodations

With Halloween just around the corner, TripAtlas.com has announced its list of the 13 Spookiest Places to Stay in Canada. From the Fairmont hotels to a jail hostel complete with a death row section, some of these hotels date back to the mid-1800’s and stories of rattling chandeliers, blood dripping down the walls, sounds of children playing in the hallways, and ghost appearances all make for spooky stories passed down by generations of hotel staff and guests. Here are some of TripAtlas.com’s 2008 list of 13 Spookiest Places to Stay in Canada: Fairmont Hotel Vancouver in Vancouver, British Columbia; Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel in Calgary, Alberta; James Bay Inn in Victoria, British Columbia...Continue reading for a complete list of haunted hotels. [Full text and pictures]